The word “Apostasy” comes from the Greek word “Apostasia”. Basically, it’s a verb meaning to “stand away from”. It’s use in ancient Greek, at a secular level, was in relation to politics. For example, when one would defect, draw off others, and form an independent party, they would have committed political apostasy. It’s use at a biblical level then is similar when you consider Acts 5:37, where it reads:
After him, Judas the Gal·i·le′an rose up in the days of the registration, and he drew followers after himself. That man also perished, and all those who were following him were scattered.
Judas defected from the Christian Church/Congregation and drew off others to follow him. He had abandoned Christianity and he had formed a new religion contrary to the teachings of Christ. Basically, he had rejected Christ’s message. Therefore, he had committed religious apostasy. However, his religion wasn’t long lived for as soon as he died, his religion died with him.
According to Insight on the Scriptures Vol.1 p.127, published by the Watchtower, Bible & Tract Society, apostasy, “constitutes a rebellion against God and a rejection of his Word of truth.” However, despite their definition of apostasy, the Watchtower, Bible and Tract Society uses the word apostasy, not as a rejection of God’s Word of truth, but rather labels all who do not believe the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses as apostates. Indeed, to further this corrupted view of apostasy, they convince their adherents that their beliefs are synonymous with biblical truth.
Recall that the word apostasy is a Greek word, in the same way that Christ is a Greek word, or that Hades is a Greek Word. You won’t find Christ or Hades in the Hebrew Scriptures. Why? Obviously, because they are Greek words. So, should we find the Greek word apostasy in the Hebrew Scriptures? Surely not!
Let’s have a look at the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures and let’s read Isaiah 32:6, where it reads:
because the senseless one himself will speak mere senselessness, and his very heart will work at what is hurtful, to work at apostasy and to speak against Jehovah what is wayward, to cause the soul of the hungry one to go empty, and he causes even the thirsty one to go without drink itself.
Lo and behold, Jehovah’s Witnesses have inserted a Greek word into a Hebrew verse! It’s as ridiculous as the Latter Day Saint’s Book of Mormon where they insert the Greek terms gospel and Christ in text that is supposedly set, and originally written, in a time period of 559-545 BCE, some 200 years before the Jews were Hellenized! Let’s read 2 Nephi 29:5 to find a quick example of Greek text inserted into verses that are supposedly Hebrew:
And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers.
Jehovah’s Witnesses and Latter Day Saints don’t agree on doctrine but they both, most certainly, like to insert Greek words into Hebrew text. Other instances of the word apostate or apostasy found in the Hebrew Scriptures of the New World Translation are at Proverbs 11:9, Jeremiah 23:15 and Daniel 11:32.
Apostasy – Comparing Bible Translations
Let’s take a closer look at Isaiah 32:6. In the New World Translation, we are led to believe that the text is specifically referring to apostates, especially when the use of the Greek word “apostasy” is inserted here. Let’s have a look at other bible translations and find out how they word this verse to see if that is the intent of Isaiah’s words.
For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise profaneness, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
For the fool speaks folly and his mind plans iniquity: practicing profane ungodliness and speaking error concerning the Lord, leaving the craving of the hungry unsatisfied and causing the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Fools speak folly; their minds devise wickedness, acting irreverently, speaking falsely of the Lord, leaving the hungry empty, and depriving the thirsty of drink.
for the mean person will speak meanness, his heart planning evil, so that he can act godlessly, spreading error concerning Adonai, as he lets the hungry go on starving and deprives the thirsty of drink.
Fools talk foolishness. They always make plans to do sinful things, to lie about the Lord, to let the hungry starve, and to keep water from those who are thirsty.
for the vile man will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against Jehovah, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition:
For the fool will speak foolish things, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and speak to the Lord deceitfully, and to make empty the soul of the hungry, and take away drink from the thirsty.
Fools say foolish things, and in their minds they plan evil things to do. They want to do what is wrong. They say bad things about the Lord. They don’t let hungry people eat their food. They don’t let thirsty people drink the water.
For the fool speaks folly, and his heart is busy with iniquity, to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink.
A fool says foolish things, and in his mind [heart] he plans evil [or commits sin]. A fool does things that are wicked [practices ungodliness], and he says wrong things [spreads error] about the Lord. A fool does not feed the hungry or let thirsty people drink water.
But the niggard will speak of niggardness, and his heart will work iniquity, and do wickedly, and speak falsely against the Lord, to make empty the hungry soul, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Godless fools speak foolishness, and their minds plan evil in order to do ungodly things. They speak falsely about the Lord. They let people go hungry and withhold water from thirsty people.
A fool speaks foolishly and thinks up evil things to do. What he does and what he says are an insult to the Lord, and he never feeds the hungry or gives thirsty people anything to drink.
Holman Christian Standard Bible:
For a fool speaks foolishness and his mind plots iniquity. He lives in a godless way and speaks falsely about the Lord. He leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.
International Standard Version:
For fools utter contempt, and their minds plot wrong things: practicing ungodliness, spreading lies about the Lord, leaving the pangs of hungry people unsatisfied, and depriving thirsty people of drink.
For the vile person will speak villainy, and his heart will invent iniquity to work unrighteousness and to speak scornfully against the LORD, leaving the soul of the hungry empty and taking away the drink of the thirsty.
For the vile person will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry; and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
For a fool speaks folly, and his mind does iniquity: to behave wickedly, and to speak error concerning Yahweh, to leave the throat of the hungry empty, and he deprives the thirsty of drink.
Everyone will recognize an evil man when he sees him, and hypocrites will fool no one at all. Their lies about God and their cheating of the hungry will be plain for all to see.
For fools are fools and that’s that, thinking up new ways to do mischief. They leave a wake of wrecked lives and lies about God, Turning their backs on the homeless hungry, ignoring those dying of thirst in the streets.
for the vile person will speak nonsense, and his heart will work iniquity: to practice hypocrisy and to utter error against the Lord, to keep the hungry unsatisfied and to withhold drink from the thirsty.
Godless fools speak foolishness, and their minds plan evil in order to do ungodly things. They speak falsely about Yahweh. They let people go hungry and withhold water from thirsty people.
For the fool speaks folly, his heart plans evil: Godless actions, perverse speech against the Lord, Letting the hungry go empty and the thirsty without drink.
A fool says foolish things, and in his mind he plans evil. A fool does things that are wicked, and he says wrong things about the Lord. A fool does not feed the hungry or let thirsty people drink water.
For a fool speaks disgraceful things; his mind plans out sinful deeds. He commits godless deeds and says misleading things about the Lord; he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite and gives the thirsty nothing to drink.
New International Reader’s Version:
Foolish people say foolish things. Their minds are set on doing evil things. They don’t do what is right. They tell lies about the Lord. They don’t give hungry people any food. They don’t let thirsty people have any water.
For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water.
For a fool speaks foolish things. His mind plans wrong-doing, to sin and to say false things against the Lord, to keep the hungry person hungry, and to keep drink from the thirsty.
For fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty.
For fools speak folly, and their minds plot iniquity: to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink.
For the naval will speak foolishness, and his lev will work evil, to practise khonef (hypocrisy), and to utter to’ah (error, perversity) against Hashem, to leave unsatisfied the nefesh of the ra’av (hungry), and he will cause the drink of the tzameh (thirsty) to fail.
For the fool speaks folly, and his mind plots iniquity: to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the Lord, to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied, and to deprive the thirsty of drink.
For fools utter nonsense, and their minds are preoccupied with evil; they regularly misrepresent the Eternal in what they say and do, Leaving true seekers frustrated and confused, the hungry with empty stomachs and the thirsty with parched mouths.
For the fool will speak folly, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice profanity, and to utter error against Yahweh, To make empty the soul of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Forsooth a fool shall speak folly things, and his heart shall do wickedness, that he perform feigning, and speak to the Lord guilefully (so that he act falsely, and speak deceitfully, even to the Lord); and he shall make void the soul of an hungry man, and shall take away drink from a thirsty man.
For a fool speaketh folly, And his heart doth iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak concerning Jehovah error, To empty the soul of the hungry, Yea, drink of the thirsty he causeth to lack.
As you can see from all of those 36 bible translations, not one of them use the word apostasy in Isaiah 32:6. Why not? Firstly, because it’s a Greek word. Secondly, because the context in which the verse is found clearly shows that it’s talking about all sorts of “worldly” individuals who will be living at a time prior to the “King reigning for righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1) who “practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord” (Isaiah 32:6 New International Version).
What does the Watchtower, Bible and Tract Society say about this verse?
To answer that question, we must look at their publication, Isaiah’s Prophecy Vol 1, Chapter 25, p.336, para 13-14, where it states:
13 Many such senseless ones come to hate those who champion God’s truth. “His very heart will work at what is hurtful, to work at apostasy and to speak against Jehovah what is wayward.” (Isaiah 32:6b) How true this is of modern-day apostates! In a number of countries in Europe and Asia, apostates have joined forces with other opponents of truth, speaking outright lies to the authorities, with a view to having Jehovah’s Witnesses banned or restricted. They manifest the spirit of the “evil slave,” of whom Jesus prophesied: “If ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.”—Matthew 24:48-51.
14 In the meantime, the apostate causes “the soul of the hungry one to go empty, and he causes even the thirsty one to go without drink itself.” (Isaiah 32:6c) Enemies of truth try to deprive truth-hungry people of spiritual food, and they try to keep thirsty ones from drinking the refreshing waters of the Kingdom message. But the final outcome will be what Jehovah declares to his people through another of his prophets: “They will be certain to fight against you, but they will not prevail against you, for ‘I am with you,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘to deliver you.’”—Jeremiah 1:19; Isaiah 54:17.
There is not a single shred of evidence to indicate that the prophet Isaiah was talking about Jehovah’s Witnesses and the problems they currently face in Europe and Asia when he penned those words in his book at chapter 32 verse 6. Rather, as you can see, it is very important for the New World Translation to use the word apostasy so that the Watchtower can use this word cunningly within their literature. It allows them free reign to label any who are against their teachings as apostate. After all, it’s right there in their bible!
Additionally, there is no evidence to indicate that the prophet Isaiah was speaking figuratively when he penned the words “the soul of the hungry one to go empty, and he causes even the thirsty one to go without drink itself.” But, the Watchtower uses this expression as if it is figuratively representing “Enemies of truth … [depriving] truth-hungry people of spiritual food” and “thirsty ones from drinking the … Kingdom message”. If these words at the later part of verse 6 of Isaiah chapter 32 are figurative, then surely the rest of the words in that verse are figurative? Indeed, maybe the whole chapter is figurative!?
Consider two the two words “sheol” and “hades”. Sheol is the Hebrew word meaning “place of the dead”. Hades is a Greek word meaning the same thing. You won’t find “Sheol” in the New Testament of the New World Translation. Why not? Because it’s a Hebrew word and the New Testament was written in Greek. Why would one put a Hebrew word into Greek text? Likewise, you won’t find Hades in the Old Testament of the New World Translation because it’s a Greek word and the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. Why would one put a Greek word into Hebrew text? Yes. Why would the Watchtower Society put a Greek word into Hebrew text?
Truly, the Watchtower, Bible & Tract Society has corrupted this scripture, along with those 3 other aforementioned scriptures to further their own agenda: that all who do not agree with the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses are apostates. Any reasoning person should be able to see the blatant corruption employed by Watchtower to dupe it’s adherents and potential adherents into believing their lies. It’s a classic example of a cult altering the words of God to control minds. – Matthew 7:15, Acts 20:29,30